morgan’s BYU graduation

Our sister-in-law graduated in the midst of our moving. Since we were down in Saratoga, we took the afternoon off to support Morgan and to play with family.

So cute!

Did you know that Morgan’s grad gown wasn’t hers to begin with? Before that it was her hubby Chase’s. Then it was Chase’s brother Cam’s. But BEFORE that it was mine. Yep, four graduations and counting… we have a couple left. Too bad it couldn’t go for Dan’s master’s graduation in two years.

this is how we roll

We are so lucky that we haven’t had to rent trucks to move in our marriage. Not that it is always my preference – it is a lot more work for us. We have always been creative with that and thanks to Dan, it has saved us a lot of money.

Some of our experiences --

When we moved to New York, we bought a camp trailer and packed our apartment into the trailer to pull it across the country. That was a joke at 50 miles an hour for 2500 miles.

When we moved to Salt Lake from New York, we packed our home into a work semi that also carried stone to Salt Lake from our quarries. Can you imagine what the employees in Salt Lake thought when they expected stone and got furniture? Ha! (almost all our furniture didn’t make it in one piece)

Some of our other 10 moves have been with trailers of friends and family and many many many trips back and forth in pick-ups. But this is the first time we have used one of the business trucks to moves our belongings – and the fork lift to get some of the furniture on and off the truck. HA! That’s what happens when you move on your own with little help (the help we had was wonderful, btw)

It took us four trips because it had to all be on one level, but it worked out just great. Two before our Colorado trip and two after our Colorado trip – mind you this was all in a week’s time.

saying goodbye

So last time we chatted we were trying to decide whether to rent our home or to sell it. After much deliberation and many many many phone calls, we decided to sell. Within 24 hours of putting our home on the market we had an offer of someone who hadn’t even seen it. A week later, we had an accepted offer (still that first offer). And 10 days later we were packed and moved. It happened fast don’t you think?

Can’t say it wasn’t full of stress!

These are the photos we put on our listing.

What a crazy 18 months we had in Roy. We worked SO hard and it did pay off fully! As sad as we were to leave, we just have to follow the path the Lord has set out for us. We LOVE the people in our neighborhood. I will always have a soft spot for them and be so thankful that we were able to spend any amount of time with them. Some family is going to be so lucky!

I am at a point right now that seeing these photos hurts a bunch. We are still in major transition and haven’t been able to move into this house yet because of our renovations. I just know we worked so hard and had to leave just as we were finally feeling a part of the community and that it was our home. It has been SO tough watching my girls go through this transition. I wasn’t quite prepared for that. After three weeks of this upheaval, they are kind of settling in to our unsettled living space. I think that it will be two more weeks at least before we get carpet and then we can “move in.” More on the new home to come!

happy birthday to me!

I asked for two things for my birthday. A day with my family and breakfast at Kneader’s. And I did receive both!

We started our morning at Kneader’s with unlimited french toast.

Oh my word! My mouth is totally watering right now just going over these photos! But it is more for the syrup and the whipped cream – those are killers!

After breakfast I was surprised with some birthday earrings and a personal e-stem machine (an electric massager that my physical therapist uses).

Then we headed to Planet Play for black light mini golf, laser tag, bowling and go-karts. It was awesome because there weren’t a lot of people there so they let Abi and Brookie do everything. My favorite was laser tag with just the four of us. It made me totally happy!

27 years old. My 26th years was one of ups (renovation our first home) and downs (miscarrying). I have accomplished some great feats (starting my own business) and overcome some of my biggest fears (skydiving and wave pool). I have two gorgeous, silly, girls who are my friends. And I have the biggest support who I am still bonkers over, my handsome hubby. How lucky am I?

The first month of my 27th year has already been crazy with renovating our second home. I wonder what I will say about this year when it is over. It is sure to be more amazing, more trying, and more strengthening.

Did I mention that I still haven’t opened my birthday present from Dan? – Matilda. You’ll meet her maybe someday when our home it all done. She’s a dressform BTW.

the draper temple

You know how making it to the temple is always an adventure? Yep, that’s us! You never know what is going to happen to try and keep us from entering those doors. Thankfully this wasn’t too bad, but here is the aftermath.

 

Powdered sugar. Dusty, sticky, and fun to play with, I guess. Abi broke the bag as she was putting it back into the closet and Brookie thought Abi was playing in it so when I sent Abi to get washed up and I went to grab a broom, B took her sweet self over to the mess and played her heart out for ten seconds, but it looked like it was 20 minutes! She moved before I could grab a photo. Silly girls :)

But we made it to the temple. What a special, freezing cold day for us! We were able to support my brother going through as he took those correct steps in preparing for his mission. I took the girls up to the temple to see the temple and the family before dropping them off with Grandma Thomas for the night. I think it is truly important to show and take our girls to places that are of importance to us.

 

I think this photo is great of my parents… I guess when you spend over thirty years married, you start to look the same :) However, we all probably look like this when it is less than 30* in April!

It must be me being a daddy’s girl that these next photos make my heart melt seeing that love my dad has for his granddaughters.

After the photos, my parents and Erik went in and I dropped the girls off and picked up Dan. Then we came back to the temple to the session and it was just wonderful. I love the peace that you feel when you walk in and the answers that you can receive if you come prepared. Miracles have not stopped. The hand of God is surely in our lives still.

It was really neat to be able to go back to the temple with my brother. When he was adopted into our family, I was 8 year old and we were able to go to the Salt Lake temple to have him sealed to our family forever. Even at my young age, I remember almost everything about that night and how special I felt in the temple. During my teen years I struggled and fell a lot. But through the atonement of Jesus Christ and the memories of the temple I have, I was able to get back on the righteous track in life. So going back with Erik was a big deal because it was Jesus and Erik who helped facilitate that miracle of repentance in my life to help me become worthy to marry Dan in the temple and start my own eternal family. How grateful I am for that.

We spent the night at Fazolli’s as the boys finished off baskets and baskets of unlimited breadsticks. I am trying to get photos of the dinner and will post them when I can. It was really fun!